A Guide to Relationships
by jazzmonkey
Summary: "Dude, I know I said I was the man in this relationship, so you better not make me cry over you." AU twist on 6x08.


**A Guide to Relationships**

**Inside Summary: 6x08 Tag. I'm just really angry that the accident is totally unrealistic. Yeah, I get that it was just supposed to add a layer to the mystery with a sense of urgency, but still. I mean, a car going seventy miles an hour barrels into the passenger side door head on, and all that happens is a cut on the forehead and some bruises. Pshhh, please.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle. I kind of wish I did, just so Roach gets more screen time. **

When he turned his head to mutter to himself, he saw the oncoming car. More clearly, he felt the oncoming vehicle when it hit theirs straight up. He felt Javi's jerk of the wheel as the car turned suddenly, and he definitely felt the metal of his door twist and jam directly into the chunk of flesh between two of his ribs.

The gasp died in his throat before it had time to form. The car lurched before coming to a stop, and all pretense of running for the border disappeared from their minds. Esposito turned to face him, "You still breathing?"

"For now, yeah." The pain was hot, spreading across his torso, but he decided it wasn't the best time to mention it. "J-"

"Get down!" he felt his partner push him down and heard bullets ping and crash against the car. Man, was his partner going to be pissed when this was over. After his gun, his car held place in his heart. The metal tugged on his shirt.

Damn it, he'd really liked this jacket. Jenny gave it to him after their six-month anniversary. He watched his partner get out of the car and without thinking about it, reached for the door. He pushed against it with the remaining strength he had and it freed him. The torn metal of the door almost dragged him along before creaking under his weight and breaking off.

His mind finally caught up to the situation when he grabbed the diamond and Esposito pushed him to run. He reached the subway entrance, "Go!"

It was getting harder to hold on with the piece of the car wedging deeper into his ribs. He still found the energy to chuckle when Javier slid on his knees, pivoting to discharge his gun a few more rounds. The clowns-literally-realized their opportunity was gone, and got back into their fender bent van and cruised off, blending into New York traffic.

Esposito took a breath of relief. "You have the diamond?" he asked without turning around, still watching the shooters barrel off with the gun up.

His voice came out much more strained than he would have liked, "Yeah, I got it. Safe in its little bag and all."

He slipped against the barrier and slid down to the ground. He could feel the metal scrap against bone again. He groaned, catching his partner's attention.

Instantly, he was by Ryan's side, "Bro, you said you were fine!"

"No," Kevin argued, "I said I was still breathing. Clearly, I still am if I'm having this conversation with you, right?"

Hastily, his friend cut the jacket off with his army knife and pressed it into the oozing blood, "Don't be a smart-ass."

Struggling one-handed to reach his phone, "Bro, tell me a story. Tell me about Jenny. How's the baby doing?"

"Baby's…fine…"

"Hello, this is Detective Javier Esposito. Officer down. We need a bus, I repeat officer down." He shut the phone off without bothering to listen to the operator on the other end. He hit his speed dial, "Ryan, keep talking. What about Jenny? She still moody?"

Kevin struggled to get the words out, "Jen-Jen's not moody. She's pregnant. She's al…She's allowed to be…moody." What did Jenny do wrong? Javi was the one keeping him awake.

He was tired. "M'tired," he whined pitifully.

"I know, buddy, I know. Just, try and stay awake a little longer and-Yes, Beckett. Finally. We have a problem. We got into a crash, Ryan's in a bad way."

Ryan could heard shouts on the other line. It sounded female. He knew that voice. Yeah, he knew that female. She sounded really familiar.

"Espo," he grunted, squirming. The pressure on his side was becoming steadily heavier as if his partner was trying to keep something there.

"I'm on-Kev, you better still be awake!" his friend's eyes looked dark. Ryan blinked. Maybe he was just seeing things. He felt a little dizzy.

His vision went blurry. "Javi, let go…let'm'sleep."

"Ryan, don't you dare close your eyes. Beckett, get down here now!" Javi sounded like a feral cat. He got that from Beckett. It was funny, now that he thought about it. That entire case had been funny. Poor sap killed because he was a player.

He heard a beep. Esposito was giving him his full attention again. He wiggled, trying to move more comfortably against the wall. "Stop it! Kev, you're going to make it worse," his partner admonished.

Ryan screwed up his face in concentration. Who was it again? "Espo…" he breathed out.

"That's it Kev, come on bro, right here. Just stay awake." He heard his partner muttering under his breath, "Where is that goddamn bus?"

He could hear a faint siren, like a buzzing in his ear.

"Bro, come on, remember Jenny, and your baby. Don't you dare go to sleep!" his partner's voice sounded begging. Esposito didn't beg. He didn't plead, and he definitely didn't sound scared.

"Ryan, I swear to god…"

The colors dulled to gray and white, swirled and turned to black.

A new beep awaited him when he opened his eyes. Greeting him was the very blinding sight of white. Everywhere. Someone needed to redecorate. He bunched up his eyes and tried to put his arms over them until he felt a tug on his left arm. Turning his head minimally, he spotted the IV.

So, he was in the hospital.

Why was he in the hospital?

"Oh, my god, Kevin, you're awake," a sweet female voice cried.

"J-Jenny?" He struggled to sit up. "What are you doing out of bed, your doctor said you needed to stay off your feet."

"No," Jenny chuckled, waddling up to the empty seat next to her husband's bed from her spot on a more comfortable looking couch, "my doctor said I needed to reduce stress. That involves you being safe, which getting into a car crash is not."

"Car crash?"

"You and Javi got into an accident. Some guys tried to attack you two on your way back from some gem expert. Honey, stop trying to sit up."

Ryan only heard one thing that stood out, "Is he okay?" he questioned his wife.

"Bro," a new voice chimed in, "I'm good. Some cuts and bruises, but I'm doing a hell of a lot better than the guy in the hospital bed."

"Espo, what happened?"

"Some clowns busted up my car and took you with it. Chill bro, don't try and sit up."

"Why am I in the hospital exactly?" just as the words came out of his mouth, his wonderful new stitched up wound made itself known.

Castle and Beckett both stepped into the room. Beckett held out a cup of juice for Jenny, which she gratefully took. Castle quipped lightly, "A piece of Espo's car decided it loved you too much."

Beckett whacked her boyfriend's head, "You had a piece of metal wedged into your side between your ribs. You needed surgery," she took a sip, "Ryan, stop trying to sit up."

"Stop telling me to stop trying to sit up. Someone just help me!" he growled. Mindful of the various tubes and wires, Espo maneuvered his partner to an acceptable position. "Thank you."

"No problem, bro."

"What about the case?"

"We solved it. It was Steve Warner's wife,-"

"The Steve Warner?"

"I didn't know he deserved a 'the'," Beckett retorted. "Anyway, his wife wanted to keep his diamond making abilities a secret. She killed the therapist because she was going to go public with the diamond to help mines in Africa shut down and save lives."

"…That seriously sucks."

Beckett stood up, and Castle followed suit, "Well, I have to finish paperwork."

"And I have an errand to run."

Esposito and Ryan snickered at both of them. Didn't matter if they were telling the truth, all of them knew where it would end up.

Jenny stood up slowly, "I need to stretch my legs before the baby kicks my bladder again."

"You sure you don't need help getting there?" Esposito asked cautiously.

"No, stay here with Kevin."

They watched Jenny slowly waddle, and Esposito laughed at Ryan trying to crane his neck to keep his pregnant wife in view.

"Don't do that to me again, Kev. You blacked out on me."

"I didn't mean to," Ryan protested.

Esposito smirked, "This proves that I'm the man in our relationship. Bro, you are a wuss for fainting."

"I did not faint!"

"Fainting, passing out, excuses, excuses," Espo waved dismissively.

"I had a piece of metal stuck in me!"

Javier smiled, "Mm-hm. Total feminine, bro. Don't even deny it. You know, that therapist might have actually been onto something."

"I didn't faint!"

**Yes, I have finally succumbed to this fandom. Okay, I fell in a long time ago, but this is the first time I'm actually writing for Castle. It really bugged me that there were no stories about this. Realism? Hello?**


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